Article 47
By Jeff Staley

RE:  ARTICLE 24/NOTES FROM READERS ABOUT ARTICLES IN THE LAST ISSUE

(PARAGRAPH 4) -- Jeff Staley (Berkely, CA) disagrees with Curtis Smith’s interpretation of the records regarding the wife or wives of Thomas [3] Bowerman.  Curtis said that Thomas [3] had a wife named Jane Hardy/Harby.  Jeff states, “While I realize one must be very careful when one hears about one’s ‘Mayflower ancestors,’ I believe Edgar Batchelder is probably correct in tracing the line through Jane Clifton.  My reasons are as follows:

                1.  Jane Ann Clubb, writing an addendum to Merton Y. Williams, The Bowerman Family, states ‘I do not accept the name of Jane Harby as a first wife of Thomas Bowerman, for the reason of diligent research – no documentary evidence can be found of it.  Also, there does not appear in the early records the name Harby.’  She also notes that Dorothy Burgess, the mother of Jane Clifton, had a brother named Ichabod born in 1684. The name Ichabod certainly does not appear to be a ‘Bowerman” name.  It is noteworthy that Ms. Clubb does not seem to be aware of Jane Clifton’s Mayflower Ancestry.

                2.  A.C. Bowerman’s 1916 Bowerman Family, p.4, does not know the name of Thomas Bowerman III’s wife. He gives her name only as ‘Jane.’

                3.  Pioneer Life on the Bay of Quinte,  does not list the name of Thomas III’s wife, although it knows the name of earlier Bowerman’s wives.

                4.  Cornelius Bowerman, in Historical Sketches of Prince Edward County, lists ‘Jane Hardy’ as Thomas’ wife, and has all nine children being born to her alone.

                5.  Merton W. Williams also lists Jane Harby as Thomas’ first wife and says that he married a second, Jane Clafton or Clatton  (later corrected to Clifton, probably due to Ms. Clubb’s research).

                What is interesting, is that those who list Jane Harby/dy as his first wife do not say where this information came from.  It seems to be ‘family tradition’ which cannot be substantiated by those that have diligently researched the question.  However, since only one marriage for Thomas has been found, genealogical research methods would seem to dictate that he was married only once, to Jane Clifton; and since we agiain have no primary evidence for Ichabod’s birthdate, he was probably born in 1722 rather than 1721.  Therefore, until proven otherwise, it seems more logical to go with what we have – Jane Clifton – than to theorize about an earlier marriage on the basis of unsubstantiated family tradition.

                To further confuse the above issue, I, the editor, offer the following data:

                1.  From “Notes of Bowerman Family Copied from Falmouth Town Records.  Falmouth, Mass.,” a collection of 6 typewritten pages deposited at the Los Angeles Public Library (downtown) in their family files:

“Thomas Bowerman and Jane Claflin (Clifton) married Oct. 1721

                Children:

                                David,                     born Oct. 4, 1722

                                Judah,                    born Dec. 24, 1723

                                Sarah,                    born Jan. 27, 1724  (perhaps means 1724/5)

                                Elizabeth,              born Nov. 21, 1727

                                Silas,                      born July 27, 1730

                                Peace,                    born Apr. 1, 1733.”

                2.  According to Falmouth MA records:  “Oct 11^th day 1721 marriags sollemnized betweed Thomas bowerman and Jene Claften before melatiah bourn, Justeis of peace” (sic)

                3.  According to Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families Vol. 1, by Amos Otis, revis. by C.F. Swift, (reprinted two volumes in one, Baltimore:  Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979):  “Thomas Bourman, son of the second Thomas, resided at West Falmouth on the estate now owned by Capt. Nathaniel Eldred. He married Jane Harby, and had children: Ichabod; Judah, who married Mary Dillingham 1758; David, married Ruth Dillingham 1751, and Hannah Wing 1770; Silas, married second, Lydia Gifford; Joseph, married Rest Swift, Sept. 17, 1766; Sarah, married Melatiah Gifford 1743; Jane, married Joseph Bowman; Elizabeth; Peace, who did not marry, and Deborah.”

                It does look like we need more work on Thomas [3] and his wife (wives). If anyone has additional (documented) information about Jane Harby/Clifton please send it to the newsletter and we will continue this discussion in the next issue.

[Webmaster Note:  This article is currently being revised with newer sources and the line is being tested for acceptance to the Mayflower Society, via Ichabod⁴ by Jeff Staley]

Webmaster - Dr. Ronald L. Lahti, M.A., D.A.
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